The 411: Creative Food Bars

Men, women and children all will remember one main element at your event.  Be it a wedding or a summer bbq, the food is a key element to any party's success.  I have been seeing a ton of creative additions to weddings with creative side bars to keep guests happy until the last song.  But scale down these same ideas and they would be a perfect fit for a more casual affair.  Here a four of my favorite inspirations right now:

#1. Ice Cream Parlor
Wedloft featured a spectacular ice cream parlor set up that made me curse the stars that I am lactose intolerant and don't have free range of every item on this table.  Of course you can provide soy ice cream for your guests along every topping under the sun, making sure there are labels for each item for any guests with allergies.  Timing & location is an issue since you don't want your beautiful display turning into a sloppy mess, so save this idea for an indoor reception, limit the bar's availability to 2 hours and always check with your venue first.  If you want to try this out for a home party, limit the types of ice cream and keep any unused cartons in the freezer.

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#2. Trail Mix Buffet
Who doesn't enjoy trail mix?  This is a personalized and fun update to the dessert bar featured on Style Me Pretty.  You can set out the different items for guests to create their own trail mix or you can set out different styles of pre-made trail mix.  Perfect for health nuts and this is the lowest cost bar on the list.  Yum!

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#3. French Fry Bar

So mashed potato bars have become fairly common but what says all-American party more than french fries?  Wedloft featured this mouthwatering setup which makes french fries look classy and chic at a wedding, imagine that!  I could easily see this being a huge hit at a house party as well as a great compliment to burgers and dogs.  I would suggest using plates so guests could pile on cheese, crab meat, bacon, chili... the possibilities go on and on.

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#4. S'more Bar, the new twist on chocolate fountains
This last idea is special to me because it was my client's inspiration come to life at her wedding last September.  I had a huge crush on her wedding start to finish but this s'more bar really sealed the deal.  Atlantic Caterers custom built a box for the four sterno's so guests could safely roast their mellows.  As for casual parties, honor the age old custom of gathering around a fire pit to roast mellows (safely with metal skewers) to keep the party going late into the night.

Both photos credit: Procopio Photography